''The Transcendental Temptation: A Critique of Religion and the Paranormal'' is a 1986 book by the philosopher

Paul Kurtz Paul Kurtz (December 21, 1925 – October 20, 2012) was an American scientific skeptic and secular humanist. He has been called "the father of secular humanism". He was Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Bu ...

. The book was published by

Prometheus Books Prometheus Books is a publishing company founded in August 1969 by the philosopher Paul Kurtz (who was also the founder of the Council for Secular Humanism, Center for Inquiry, and co-founder of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry). The publ ...

, a company founded by Kurtz in 1969.

Summary

Kurtz analyzes the bases of religion: how provable are the claims of the famous prophets who founded religion in their name:

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

Joseph Smith Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the age of 24, Smith attracted tens of thou ...

Ellen G. White Ellen Gould White (née Harmon; November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915) was an American author, and was both the prophet and a co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Along with other Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husb ...

and others? He asks what the prospects are for developing a humanistic society based on scientific and humane foundations. The book considers several aspects of religion including the existence of God, belief in the afterlife, reincarnation, mysticism, astrology and ufology; he concludes by directing the reader towards rational skepticism.

Reception

In the award of the Norton Medal (endowed by Charles Phelps Norton) to Kurtz in 2001, ''The Transcendental Temptation'' was noted, amongst Kurtz's other contributions to secular humanism, as a seminal work on the topic. The award also noted Kurtz's founding of the

Center for Inquiry The Center for Inquiry (CFI) is a U.S. nonprofit organization that works to mitigate belief in pseudoscience and the paranormal and to fight the influence of religion in government. History The Center for Inquiry was established in 1991 by ...

. University of Buffalo website, ''UB to Hold 155th General Commencement Ceremony May 13'', article by Mary Beth Spina dated April 27, 2001
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References

1986 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Books critical of religion English-language non-fiction books Humanist literature Nontheism publications Prometheus Books books {{reli-book-stub